Tray support



July 7, 1953 C. W. DUDLEY TRAY SUPPORT Filed June 21, 1950 57- a v d; I

c 2| 5 33 .7 IG 'a L@ Fit" Fifi 3 fu INVENToR. CARL n /aafx WKK Patented July 7, 1953 OFI-fics n f TRAY SUPPORT.- .Carl W. Dudley, Beverly Hills, Calif. Animationen@ 21, 195o, serial No; 169,502y

A`aclantis. v(Crais-28,2)

This invention vrelates todevicesffor supporting eating trays' and has particular reference to V'a tray support adaptedv to be attached'to chairs,

beds andthe like. v

.One of the principal objects of my inventionris to'V provide a novel traysupport which mayV quickly and easilybeattached'and removednfrom a 'chainnbed or other article of furniture. y liAnother'object .ofrmy invention isito provide a novel tray support device which may be folded or 'collapsed into a small unit for storage.`

f Another object of'my invention is to provide a device of the character Adescribed which is light in weight and of neatappearance yet which will provide a steady support fora food tray orthe mia l Another object Yof `my invention is to providea tray supportdevice which'is'simple inconstruction and adapted to' be manufactured'inexpensivelyjon a quantity basis. jY Y Further objectsof the invention will appear hereinafter; l i jSIn the'tdrawings:

` VFigure l is a side elevation of apreferred embodimentvof my invention;v jg f j Figure; 2 is a vsectional elevation taken substantiallyY on 'the line 2'-2 of Figure-1; v"Figure 3 is a detail view of the device illustrating an eating trayv supported thereby;

Figure` 4 is a perspective View illustrating the device, in the open position, attached'to'a member' of achair, bed or the like;

' Figure' 5 is a'sectional'elevationtakensubstantially'on the-line l5'-j5 ofliigure 1;` j VFigure 6 is a sectional elevation taken sub;

stantially on menne 66 `of Figure 1;A f VFigure* '7 is `a sectional elevationjtaken; substantially on the line 1 1 of Figure'; and" Figure 8 is a diagrammatic sectic'inal'eleva ltion takenfsubstantiallyon the line 8-8 Vof Figure y Y '.:r l. n., "The device embodying-my invention `isfespe- Vcially adapted for use in Pullman cars'and" in airplanes', 'since' it is light in weight, attractive in appearance, and maybey easily 'stored'away'in a minimum of space.v i Referring now vto vthedrawings, the trayjsupport device, 'generallyv indicated I0, includes a standard or p ost vI I adapted to be received in a cylindrical socket `member I2 which'is' secured with bracketsl I3 to'a vframe member I4 jo'i a chair,rbed.or ,thelike VIf desired, the socket member I2 maybe securedjto a"protruding"por tion of thervwall or bulkhead of a Pullman car or airli'ner A collar I5 is secured to thepost 'I Ito 2 maintain the postfin the desired position with respect to the socket member I2. The postfII is' freely rotatable with respect to the socket member so that the device may be rotated to any desired location.

Trayfsupport arms I6, AII and I8 are mounted on the post II substantially normal to the axis of the post. The lowermostv arm I6 is mounted on a collar I9 which is secured to the post II by means of Aset screw 20. Arms I'I and I8 are threadedly securedto sleeves 2l Vand 22respectively, which are turnably mounted on the post II so that the arms may be swung to the operative position shown in Figures 2,'3 and 4, .or to the inoperative position for storage as shown best in Figure l.Y A cylindrical extension 23 of the'collar I9 serves as a bearing surface for. the sleeves 2| and 22. Means are provided to lock the arms II and I8 in the open and closed positions and, as shown in the drawings, these means may include the bore 24 in thecollar I9 in which bore is inserted a coil spring 25.v The springll urges a spherical member or ball 26 against `the end of the sleeve 2'I,A the ball tending to seat in a shallow depression 21 in the sleeve V2Is--wlfien thei arm II is in the closed position shown in Figure l and'in the shallow depression 281when the -arm I7 is moved to the open or operative posiof the armsII and I8 and, as shown inthedraws ings, Ythesemeans may include the pins 33 v,and

,34 mountedon collar I9 and s1eeve'2I, respec tively.v dThese pins extend respectively into arcuate grooves 35 and 36 in sleeves 2I and 2;2,;tl-ie length of the grooves determining theturning trcof the sleeves and hence of the `arms I'I and Tray-contacting elements 31 and V38'extend laterally from the ends of arms I6l and II, respectively, to dene, with the upper surface of thel arm I8, a plane normal to the axis of the post II. The elements 31 and 38 may `be rubbertipped if desired. A stop member39 is secured intermediate the ends of the arm I'I and co" operates with a transverse groove 40 in the arm 3 IS to assist in maintaining the arms in the closed position when the device is carried about or is in storage. This stop member may terminate in the plane deiined by the arm I8 and elements 31 and 38 to provide a four-point support for the tray il as shown.

Clamp means are provided to maintain the eating tray il or any similar object in position on the support arms. As shown in the drawings, an axial threaded opening d2 is provided in the upper end of the post Il. A threaded element 43 is engaged therewith and is provided with a hand lever M for raising or lowering the clamp mem'- ber 45. A coil spring d6 urges the clamp member upwardly against the anged end 4'! of the element 43, a washer de being interposedbetween the ange 47 and the clamp member 45. vSey cured to the clamp member by means of screws 49 is al disk member 5B which carries adepending pin 5| slidably engaged in an aperture 52 in the ,flanged sleeve 53, thus preventing rotation of the .clamp member. A cylindrical axial extension 54 is 'provided on the disk member 50. The extension ,54 may be slidably engaged with a counter bore 55 in the flanged sleeve 53. The flanged sleeve 53 is assembled in press fit relationship With a holding rcollar 55 which is secured to the vpost H by means of set screws 51 to prevent disassembly of the collars 2| and 22.

In, operation, the device I0 is easily -set up by 1 member to a rst position to define a plane normal to the axis of said post for supporting a food tray and to a second position substantially coplanar with the axis of said post member; and

" locking means whereby said second and third said'r'st sleeve; a Vsecond sleeve turnably car- While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself ,to the exact details of the construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, .modications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within `the, purview of the appended claims.

l. a support device for a food tray, a post member, a first arm secured to said post member and extending outwardly substantially normal ,thereto, and second and third arms turnably se- ,cured Vto said post member and extending outwardly substantially normal thereto, each of saidv second and third arms having atray contacting element extending upwardly therefrom, said arms being secured to said posty member one above the other whereby said second and third arms may be turned to a first position relative to said first arm wherein said rst arm and tray contacting elements of said second and third arms denne va plane normal to the axis of said post for supporting a food trayA and whereby vsaid second and third arms may be turned to a second position substantially coplanar with the axis of Isaid post and saidrst arm for storage of :said support device. i

l `2, In aA support device lfor Ya food tray', a Y

substantially vertical post member; a collar rigidly secured to said post member; a first arm extending-horizontally from said collar; a first sleeve turnably carried on said post member above said' collar; a second arm extending horizontally from said rst sleeve; a second sleeve turnably carried on said post member above said first sleeve; a third arm extending horizontally from said second sleeve, the said second and third arms being turnable with respect to the post ried on said post member above said rst sleeve; Ia third arm extending horizontally from said second sleeve, the said second .and third arms being turnable with respect to the post member to a rst position to dene a plane normal to the axis of said post for supporting a food tray and to a second position substantially coplanar with the axis vof said post member; and stop meansV limiting'the turning arc vof said second and third means, said stop means including a first ,pin .mounted'on said ,collar and extending into an arcuate groove in said first sleeve, anda second pin mounted on said first sleeve and extending into a second arcuate groove vin .said third sleeve.

4. In a support device for a food tray, a substantially vertical post member; a collar rigidly secured to said post member; a rst armextending horizontally from said Y collar; a first sleeve turnably carried on saidpost member above said collar; a second arm extending horizontally from said first sleeve; a second sleeve turnably carried on said post member above said first sleeve; a third arm extending horizontally from said second sleeve, the said vsecond'a'nd third arms ,being turnable with respect to the post member to a rst position to definea plane normal to the axis of said post for `supporting a food tray and to a second position substantially coplanar with the. axis of said post member; locking means whereby said second and third .arms may be selectively maintained in said first or said second position, said `locking meansincluding a first spring-loaded spherical 'member on said co1- lar adapted to.seat .in depressions in said rst sleeve, and a second spring-loaded spherical member on said first sleeve adapted to seat in depressions in said second sleeve; and stop means limiting the turning ar-c of-said second and third means,sa'id stop .means including a .first vpin mounted on said collar vand extending into an arcuate groove Vin said .rst sleeve, and a second pin mounted on said first sleeve and extending into a second karcuate ,groove in said third sleeve.

5`.'.In a support device for a food tray, a -post member, a first arm secured to Asaid post member vandextending outwardly .substantially normal thereto, second and'third arms turnably secured to .said post member and -extending outwardly substantially normal thereto, each of said second and third arms having a tray contacting element extending upwardly therefrom, Isaid arms being secured to said post member one above the lother whereby said second and third arms may be lturned to a rst position relative to saidrst `arm wherein said first arm and tray Ycontacting elements of said second and third arms'de'ne a, plane normal to the axis of said post for supporting a food tray and whereby said second and third arms may be turned to a second position substantially coplanar with the axis of said post and said rst arm for storage of said support device, and clamp means operably connected to said past member for holding a tray on said arms.

CARL W. DUDLEY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 363,648 87 1,951 943,910 1,529,23 1 1,797,847

Name Date Keehner May 24, 1887 Baker Apr. 17, 1906 Brudlove Dec. 21, 1909 Arnold Mar. 10, 1925 Vandagrii Mar. 24, 1931 

